Atlanta Reign: Stage 1 Week 1 Preview

Welcome to the first Atlanta Reign team pre-review. We will be doing this weekly to make sure you’re ready and informed for the weeks’ games. As the first week of the Overwatch League Season 2 is upon us, let’s dig into who the Reign will be facing this week.

Florida Mayhem 0-0-0

Florida Mayhem comes into Season 2 looking very different than they did last year. After a disappointing first season with a European roster, the Mayhem have opted to pull together a Korean core to hopefully correct their opening season performance.

While these new players are very talented, there is still a question as to how they’re going to perform together? Major questions center around their coaching staff lacking Korean representation up until only days ago, and where Kevyn “TviQ” Lindström fits into the new team.

Week 1 will be a test for both teams as Florida will try to find footing with their new identity. On the other side Atlanta will try and dismiss any concerns regarding any communications issues on their international roster. As long as the Reign can play as a cohesive unit, they should be able to overcome the Mayhem without much trouble.

Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Prediction: Atlanta wins 3-1

Player to Watch Out For:

Even with a poor Season 1 showing from Florida, Jung-woo “Sayaplayer” Ha was often called one of the best Widowmaker players in the league. His Stage 4 stats include both the highest crit percentage and scoped accuracy in the league. While Widowmaker is not currently a must pick by any means, expect Sayaplayer to be a player his team looks to enable on whatever character he plays.

Philadelphia Fusion 0-0-0

Philadelphia returns to Season 2 of the Overwatch League with something to prove, having finished Season 1 in second place. With an international roster that seems to have inspired Atlanta’s, Philadelphia has proven that communication issues and language barriers can be overcome.

Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

The question surrounding this battle is whether Atlanta can dethrone the kings of the worldwide team, or does Philadelphia still control the reigns? This will be one of the more exciting match ups of the opening week, especially if the Fusion are able to secure a victory in their opening grudge match versus the London Spitfire.

The Reign will need to rely on consistent strength from their stand out tank line and maybe even a few big hero plays to be able to take this behemoth down. If they can synergize well and enable players like Daniel “dafran” Francesca to showcase his potential in a competitive environment, Atlanta does have the needed talent and ability to secure the win.

Prediction: Atlanta wins 3-2

Fun Fact of the Week:

Philadelphia Fusion and Atlanta Reign are both owned by telecommunication conglomerates Comcast Spectacor and Cox Enterprises respectively. Due to this, as well as notable similarities in their international rosters, there has been discussion that this match up may become a rivalry that is already being called the “Battle of the Cable Conglomerates.”

I've been making video content about the Atlanta Reign since the announcement of the franchise. It's been a wild ride that's allowed me to work closely with the community in order keep people up to date on news and matches, and to help make the Reign fan community something people are proud to be a part of!